Improvement in railroad car-heaters



. T ICE.

BENJAMIN D. THOMPSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD CAR-HEATERS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,249, datedSeptember 26, 1871.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN D. THOMPSON, of the city of New York,county and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedAtmospheric Gar-Heater, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of thesame.

Figure l is a side elevation of my car-heater. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalcentral sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view of the samewith the upper plate of the heater removed, eX- posing to view thepartitions in the heating-chamber. Fig. 4 is a detached view of oneofthe wickelevators.

My invention relates to the introduction of heated air into railwaycars, and more especially horse-cars in cities, by means of a heater inwhich oil is to be used as fuel, the said heater to be placed underneaththe body of the car, into which the cold air is conducted frombelow,-and from whichit is discharged into the car through aregister inthe floor, the combustion of the oil and consequent evolution of heatbeing regulated by the elevation or depression of the wicks throughwhich the oil is burned by means of the apparatus hereinafter described.A is a case made of sheet metal, preferably of y sheet-iron, of suitablethickness and strength. YIt should be about three to four feet inlength,

two or three feet in width, and from twelve to fifteen inches in depth.This case is divided longitudinally into three close compartments, themiddle one being again divided into two chambers by a perforatedpartition. In the upper compartment are inserted sectionalV transversepartitions, as seen in Fig. 3, arranged in the manner shown in thedrawing, thus forming an extended air-passage fromone end of thecompartment to the other, as indicated by the arrows. C is thecombustion-chamber, air being admitted through perforations in the sidesand at the ends of the same, and the smoke passing off through thesmoke-pipe E. D is the oil-cham ber, into which the oi-l is admittedfrom a reservoir to be placed at any convenient point in the car, andthe iiow of the oil into the chamber is regulated by the iloat-valve G.Flat wick-tubes a, four, more or less, extending across the case, areinserted in the partition separating the oilchamberD from theair-chamber C, holdingwicks -will close the valve G and arrest the iow.

that extend downward into the oil. These wicks are elevated and loweredby means of several serrated disks of metal, that engage with the wicksthrough openings in the side of the wicktubes. Each wick is suppliedwith three, more or less, of these disks, secured upon a small shaftmounted in the case, as represented in the drawing, upon one end ofwhich, outside of the case, is a spur-gear, d. H is an endless screw,mounted to revolve .on the side of the case, with which the spur-gearsengage. This screw is revolved by means of the beveled gears e f, theshaft g, and the lever-index h. The shaft may be eX- tended up throughthe platform of the car so as to bring the lever la within easy reach ofthe conductor. The air is admitted into the heatingchamber B through thepipe o', and, aft-e1' passing through the same, is conducted into thecar through the pipe j. The heater is to be properly secured to the bodyof the car underneath the licor.

The operation of this heater is vas follows: When oil from the oil-tankhas owed into the oil-chamber in sufcient quantity to supply thenecessary quantity to the wicks the float Gr The wicks now bein-glighted, through an opening to be made in the outer side of the case, asitis arranged under the car, (which should be closed by a hinged orsliding panel or door,) the chamber B will, of course, become heated,and the heated air contained will rise through the tube j into the car,while the cold air is supplied through the tube 't'. The regulation of`the rate 4of coinbustion is of course important, and this isconveniently done by means 'of the wick-elevators c, actuated by theendless screw H and spurgears d, the beveled gears e f, the shaft g, andthe lever h.v

I claim as my invention- The combination of the case A with its threecompartments, B, C, and D, the Wick-tubes a, the wick-elevators coperated by the screw H, the whole constructed and arranged as and forthe purpose speciied.

BENJAMIN D. THOMPSON.

Witnesses A. S. FITCH, GEO. Gor'r.

